March 23 CBL Talk to Discuss Environmental Health

"I believe this talk will be very eye-opening to students who spend the better part of four years here and to the local Scranton community."- Karla Shaffer ‘24, Political Science major, Environmental Studies Concentration.

On Thursday, March 23 the Office of Community-Based Learning’s “CBL Talks” series will continue with “CBL Talks: Environmental Health.” This event will take place from 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. in The DeNaples Center Ballroom. Featured guest speaker Tonyehn Verkitus, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania will lead a discussion on environmental factors, such as air and water quality, as determinants of our health and well-being. These and other environmental factors can lead to disease and health disparities in the places where people live, work, learn and play. Registration for this event required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23EnvironmentalHealth

“Environmental health is something that deserves far more discussion. It’s easy to think of pollution and climate change as dangerous mainly to the planet and animals, but humans suffer greatly at the hands of polluting industries. It’s hard to pinpoint where conditions like respiratory disease, heart disease, and cancer originate, but when there’s an influx in certain areas, it’s important to consider the common environmental factors.

"Scranton is disproportionately impacted by the diseases above, so I believe this talk will be very eye-opening to students who spend the better part of four years here, and to the local Scranton community,” said Karla Shaffer ‘24, Political Science major, Environmental Studies Concentration.

This talk aims to help broaden the understanding of the environment’s impact on communities with a focus on the greater Scranton area. It will illustrate how existing environmental disparities in communities exposed to a combination of poor environmental quality and social inequities lead to more sickness and disease than seen in wealthier, less polluted communities.

Sponsors include the University's Office of Community-Based Learning in collaboration with the Office of Community Relations, the Office of Sustainability, the Environmental Studies Concentration, and Panuska College of Professional Studies T.A.P.E.S.T.R.Y. program. This event is also a part of the University's 2023 Earth Month events. The CBL Talks are designed to provide University students, as well as the wider community, with information and insights into some of the major challenges and opportunities facing the Scranton area. The Talks illustrate how students and community can affect of positive change. Previously, a Feb. 9 CBL Talk discussed Black History and Housing in Scranton.

Coming April 14: A CBL Talk event focused on the Living Wage Study 2022 Report. Register at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CBL23LivingWage

Each of the CBL Talks will feature a live session beginning with a presentation from guest speakers, followed by Q&A. Recordings of these sessions will serve as a resource for Community-Based Learning courses; reflection questions will be provided to student attendees after each event. CBL Talks can be used as a teaching resource for CBL faculty members. Attendees from the University and Scranton community are invited to attend.

For more information on the CBL Talks program, please visit: www.scranton.edu/cbltalks or email cbl@scranton.edu.